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Orioles sign RHP Suk-Min Yoon to a three-year contract

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Press Release |

The Orioles today announced that they have signed RHP SUK-MIN YOON (pronounced syuck-min you-n) to a three-year contract. Yoon would become the first Korean-born player in club history, and the 16th in major league history, when he makes his big league debut.

Yoon, 27, has gone 73-59 with a 3.19 ERA (1129.0IP, 400ER) in nine seasons with the KIA Tigers of the Korean Baseball Organization after being selected in the 2nd round of the 2005 draft out of high school. A three-time KBO All-Star (2008, '09 and '11), Yoon was named the KBO MVP while also winning the Pitching Triple Crown in 2011 (17 wins, 2.45 ERA and 178 strikeouts in 27 games).

He has finished in the top-10 in KBO in several categories multiple times in his career: ERA (three times; led KBO in 2008 and '11), strikeouts (four times; KBO leader in 2011), wins (twice; KBO leader in 2011), saves (twice), innings pitched (three times), complete games (five times; KBO leader in 2011) and shutouts (three times; KBO leader in 2011 and '12).

As a member of the Korean National Team, Yoon pitched in the Asian Games (2006 & '10), Olympic Games (2008) and World Baseball Classic (2009 & '13). In 2008, he helped pitch Korea to their first Olympic gold medal in baseball during the Beijing games, going 2-0 with a 2.34 ERA (7.2IP, 2ER) in five appearances. Yoon has made five total appearances in the World Baseball Classic, first going 2-0 with a 1.13 ERA (16.0IP, 2ER, BB, 13K) in four games for the silver medal winning squad in 2009, before making one start in 2013.

Since 2011, Yoon has recorded 3.72 strikeouts per walk. In 2013, he posted seven saves and a 3.60 ERA in 19 relief appearances, going 3-6 with a 4.00 ERA in 30 games overall. He will wear #18.

YOON TO BE INTRODUCED IN SARASOTA TOMORROW AT 12:00 P.M.

Orioles Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations DAN DUQUETTE, Manager BUCK SHOWALTER and Yoon will be available to the media at a press conference tomorrow, February 18, at 12:00 p.m. The press conference will take place in the Baseball Operations Center of the Orioles year-round training facility at Ed Smith Stadium, located at 1090 N. Euclid Avenue in Sarasota, FL. Media planning to attend should contact Jay Moskowitz via email at jmoskowitz@orioles.com. Parking will be available on 11th Street and a parking pass can be picked up at the main reception desk when you arrive.

For media that are unable to attend the press conference, but interested in using footage, Orioles Productions will make audio and video files available for download via www.oriolespressbox.com. A media advisory will be sent when footage has been uploaded. Media outlets that do not already have an account with MLB.com will be prompted to create one at the www.oriolespressbox.com homepage. Those who have difficulty downloading content should call (212) 485-3444 or e-mail mm-production@mlb.com.

INF/OF JIMMY PAREDES CLAIMED ON WAIVERS BY KANSAS CITY

INF/OF JIMMY PAREDES has been claimed on waivers by Kansas City, opening up a 40-man roster spot for Yoon. Paredes was claimed by the Orioles from Miami on Saturday.